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Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Arizona Commerce Authority Tours Northern Arizona

by Community Contributor • April 13, 2023 • Comments Off

Good Afternoon,

It is always a joy showing off all that northern Arizona has to offer – and what new things are on the horizon – to visitors who appreciate the power of economic development in keeping a community vibrant.

So it was with great pleasure that ECoNA recently hosted the business development team from the Arizona Commerce Authority on a whirlwind two-day tour of our region.

We packed a lot into those 48 hours, and our guests could not have been more positive and engaged as they learned more about the strides we are making to improve economic vitality in Flagstaff, Winslow, Sedona, and Camp Verde.

Our first morning was spent in Winslow, where we were met by Mayor Roberta Cano and City Manager (and ECoNA Executive Board member) David Coolidge. We toured the site of the proposed industrial park and inland port. The project by Atlas Global Development Group would leverage that town’s potential as a “logistics corridor” with I-40, BNSF and Lindbergh Airport. The ACA also toured the Hat Factory building owned by the Hopi Tribe.

In Flagstaff, there were tours and presentations on the BioScience Research Park with City of Flagstaff Business Attraction Manager Jack Fitchett, and a presentation on the proposed Northern Arizona Healthcare’s Health and Wellness Village with NAH Vice President of Construction and Real Estate Development Steven Eiss (also an ECoNA Executive Board member). Sedona Deputy City Manager Joanne Keene joined us for dinner to provide updates on that city.

The second day included a tour of the Science Annex research labs at Northern Arizona University and presentations by Deans Lillian Smith Andy Wang, and Jason Wilder. There was an introduction to available parcels at the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Flagstaff Ranch Business Park, and Camp Navajo.

Then it was off to Camp Verde, where the ACA team saw multiple parcels ripe for development in this growing community.

Our thanks to ACA Senior Vice President Economic Development Keith Watkins; Senior Vice President Business Development Fernando Garcia; Vice President Rural Economic Development Jamie Kerr; Vice Presidents of Business Development Jami Mai, Devin Patterson, and Michael Rosas; and Senior Real Estate Coordinator Karyn MacVean for joining us on this adventure.

Meanwhile, we’ll be joining ACA at their booth for the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit next month. Held in the Washington D.C. area, it’s the highest-profile event in the U.S. dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment.

We truly treasure our collaborations with the ACA to help ensure that our region has every opportunity for success and economic vitality.